Radhika Narayan’s OTT debut is a Hindi murder mystery series that she hopes will open avenues for her

Radhika Narayan is acutely aware of how content consumption patterns have changed over the last few years. OTT is a force to reckon with and the future of entertainment, she says. Which is also why she is now set to start work on her first web series. Interestingly, Radhika will foray into the OTT space with a Hindi web show called Aaeena, directed by Manju Nandan, which will be shot in locations across Bengaluru, Hubbali and Mumbai. “OTTs have a much larger audience these days. While movies will always remain my priority, I realize that working on OTT content will open avenues for work in other languages. That is my focus now, to do good work, irrespective of where it is from and in what language it is,” she reasons.

“Aaeena is about a buddhist monk, who is also an author and a mystery surrounding a book he’s written. We recently revealed the first look of my character, in which I am seen in handcuffs in prison. While I am not at liberty to divulge more details about my role, I can say that what attracted me to it was the fact that it has two distinctive shades, one of which is negative. A murder mystery, Aaeena is about the dichotomy of life. I begin shooting for the show by the end of the month,” says Radhika.

The show also has Kannada actor Tilak Shekar on board, while director Manju is from Hubballi. “And yet, Aaeena is not a south Indian production. Most of the other cast and crew members are from the Hindi belt,” says Radhika, who has been getting help to work on her Hindi diction, as she is dubbing for herself in the show. “The plan,” she adds, “is to tell this story in 6-7 episodes in its first season and then follow up with another, depending on the network the show gets picked up by. The team is looking at shooting it with the best production values to ensure top streaming platforms show interest in it.”

Meanwhile, in Kannada, Radhika has a few days’ worth of work left on Shivaji Surathkal 2. The actress also has a cameo in Rajendra Singh Babu’s Veera Kambala, for which she has already shot her portions. Last seen in Mundina Nildana, Radhika is now gearing up for the release of the mystery thriller Chase, directed by Vilok Shetty, which should be in theatres sometime in August.